(Bloomberg) -- French authorities ended the four-day detention of Telegram Chief Executive Pavel Durov on Wednesday afternoon, kickstarting fresh questioning from a judge who will decide whether to press charges.
The Russian-born billionaire was stopped at Le Bourget airport north of Paris on Saturday evening after disembarking from a private jet and had been in police custody ever since over allegations he allowed criminals to use the messaging app unfettered.
Now, Durov is being brought in front of an investigative judge at the Paris judicial court in the north of the capital, according to a justice ministry official. The judge is expected to subject the 39 year-old to more questioning before deciding whether to press charges against him or name him as a material witness in the investigation and let him go free.
If charges are pressed, another judge known as the will likely have to rule on whether any limits should be placed on his movements or if Durov should post a bond. The entire process is expected to take place behind closed doors.
Durov's laissez-faire attitude to regulation made Telegram into a giant but also put him at odds with governments for repeatedly ignoring requests to better moderate content on his platform. The billionaire has styled himself as a radical libertarian and cultivates a look riffing off of Keanu Reeves' Neo character in . Yet Durov has faced heightened pressure to monetize Telegram as the maturity of a March 2026 bond worth $2.4 billion approaches.
French authorities are looking into a wide range of allegations. They include refusing to help authorities run legal wiretaps on suspects, enabling the sale of child sexual abuse material and aiding and abetting drug trafficking.
In a statement released on Telegram on Sunday, the Dubai-based company asserted that Durov has “nothing to hide” and that the app abides by European laws.
“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the statement declared. “We're awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation.”
While the pressing of charges is a key point in French probes, a criminal trial — if any is ordered — may be several months or even years away.
As the investigation progresses, Durov would have an opportunity to challenge any charges through his legal team.
(Updates with details throughout)
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